Asheville Report Card: A to towing bill

State Rep. Tim Moffitt

The Report Card issues grades A through F, and incompletes where necessary, to a variety of news items in this space. Got an idea that makes the grade? Send it to JBuchanan@CITIZEN-TIMES.com

Reader grades

F to the AC-T grading system for the praise of Montana Republicans recommending limiting the exercise of political speech. Is it because the enactment of their bill would aid and abet the federal administration's distribution of tax records to their political opponents? Or maybe the opposition supporters could just be dissuaded from their contributions? I recommend, instead, printing the First Amendment to our Constitution as a grade A.

Jerry Corbin, Franklin

F to the A-CT for its journalism on June 8. Room for a one-quarter page commentary from a local reader suggesting that politicians who favor more gun regulations ignore crime statistics, but not time or room for a single word in print or online about the rampage in Santa Monica the previous afternoon where a man with an assault-style rifle and multiple handguns killed four persons and wounded five others.

Mark Kurdys, Asheville

Staff grades

A to broad support in North Carolina for nonpartisan districting. In a SurveyUSA poll, nearly 70 percent of North Carolinians say nonpartisan legislative staffers, not politicians, should draw election districts. Breaking it down by party, 73 percent of Republicans, 69 percent of independents and 69 percent of Democrats favored the move. A bill in the House filed by Wake County Republican Paul Stam to set up a nonpartisan redistricting system has garnered support from around 60 legislators. We hope more get on board; districting should be about voters getting to pick their politicians, not politicians getting to pick their voters.

I for incomplete to the future of the historic Grove Park Inn & Spa in Asheville, in the hands of new owners. The initial signs, however, do look encouraging. The Omni Hotel & Resort chain announced Wednesday the purchase of the landmark inn, along with four other top resorts from KSL Capital Partners. The move comes one year after GPI was sold to a Denver investment group. Grove Park Inn will keep its name, with only a few signs going up announcing the Omni Hotels & Resort brand.

"We're looking for a quick, smooth transition. We want everything to remain the same, which has been great," said Anne Tramer, Omni's vice president for communications. Stephanie Brown, executive director of the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau, said, "Omni's gaining a newly renovated, world-class destination that only continues to attract greater numbers of visitors. Grove Park is an icon and a major employer that's made an extraordinary contribution to the economic vitality of Asheville." John Winkenwerder, owner and manager of South Asheville Hotel Associates, noted, "There's only so many historic hotels, and the Grove Park is one of those crown jewels. This could be a really good fit." We hope for continued success for GPI, an Asheville landmark since 1913.

A to Rep. Tim Moffitt, R-Buncombe, for his bill designed to make it easier for people to find cars that have been towed. The measure has passed the House and is in the Senate Transportation Committee. It would require towing companies to alert law enforcement before they remove a vehicle. The tow operator would provide police a description of the vehicle, the place from which the vehicle was towed, where it will be stored and contact information so the owner can retrieve it.

Owners could then call police or the sheriff's office and quickly find out what happened to their cars. Some municipalities already require immediate police notification of a tow, and businesses often post warning signs in parking lots with a tow company telephone number. However, some don't. Angela Vogel Daley, a spokeswoman for auto club AAA Carolinas, said, "There needs to be some way for motorists to know where their car has been towed to." Phillip McCorquodale, president of the 100-member Towing and Recovery Association of North Carolina, said his group is generally in favor of the law and wants regulations that protect car owners. He said it could be hard to find a towed car in some parts of North Carolina.

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Asheville Report Card: A to towing bill

The Report Card issues grades A through F, and incompletes where necessary, to a variety of news items in this space.